Chapter 5

I registered at the Merchant Guild. It's a registration for selling four types of goods.

While I can't do business with regular customers, there's no problem doing business with merchants or the Merchant Guild.

As planned, I decided to wholesale white sugar to the Merchant Guild.

I was led to a separate room to negotiate with the person in charge and waited there.

A drink with a brown color like tea was served, but its aroma and taste were not that great.

Not that it was because of that, but I started talking to the Navigator.

"Hey, Navigator."

"What is it?"

"When merchants make a transaction, what do they use to prove it?"

"In the case of transactions between merchants, the purchasing merchant creates and keeps a copy of a sales certificate. In the case of transactions between merchants and regular customers, the merchant creates and keeps a copy of the sales certificate."

"But wouldn't that be difficult in retail?"

"In retail, a simple sales certificate called a receipt is issued, so there's no problem."

"I see, it's more solid than I thought. By the way, what happens when I buy something through [Mail Order]?"

"Basically, the seller is responsible for paying taxes, so the buyer isn't scrutinized. If you're worried, you can use the [Mail Order] sales certificate issuance function to keep a copy. After that, just pretend it's a trade secret."

"Trade secrets work, huh?"

While we were talking, there was a knock on the door.

After responding, a tall, good-looking man in his early thirties with a neat appearance came in.

He was handsome, but unfortunately, the dark circles under his eyes ruined the look.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Rainy Umbrella, a buyer for this guild."

"Ah, thank you very much. I'm Groce Handler, a registered seller of four types of goods."

Since greetings are important, I stood up from my chair and returned the greeting. Umbrella gestured for me to sit back down.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have much time, so I'd like to get straight to the point."

Judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he must be very busy and barely have time to sleep.

In sales, small talk is important, but if there's no time, it can't be helped.

However, even if there's no time, I think it's important to take the time to get to know the other person.

Even if it seems like idle chatter, it can lead to business.

"Alright, can you take a look at this?"

I put all the contents of my backpack into storage and took out a ten-kilogram bag of white sugar, placing it on the table.

"What is this?"

The bag is labeled "white sugar" in Japanese, but Umbrella, of course, can't read Japanese.

Before being transported to this world, I was worried about the language barrier, but since there was no language skill, I thought it would probably be fine.

However, while the spoken language sounds like Japanese to me, the writing is completely different.

"This is sugar."

When I said it was sugar, Umbrella's expression changed for a moment.

Observing people is an important skill in sales.

"Sugar? Can I see the contents?"

"Yes, of course."

I opened the bag and showed the contents to Umbrella.

His expression changed again.

"Please taste it."

I had previously bought a teaspoon and a small plate through [Mail Order] and used them to take a small amount of sugar and offer it to Umbrella.

Both the teaspoon and the plate were cheap items I bought for a hundred yen each.

"...It's white..."

Of course, it's white because it's white sugar.

I scooped up a little sugar with the teaspoon and first checked the smell.

White sugar doesn't really have a smell, does it?

After checking the smell, I put the teaspoon with the sugar in my mouth.

"!"

Umbrella's expression was filled with surprise, and he made no effort to hide it.

How is it, sweet, right?

"...This is... amazing."

"How about it?"

"How much of this sugar can you provide?"

"Don't rush me. Today, I only want to wholesale the ten kilograms here."

"Other merchants?"

"If the guild values this sugar highly, I won't negotiate with other merchants."

"...Understood. I'll buy these ten kilograms for 100,000 yen, no, 120,000 yen."

Wow, 12,000 yen per kilogram.

The sugar available to regular customers costs 25,000 yen, so this is almost half the price.

I bought ten kilograms of white sugar for 3,000 yen, and if I can sell it for 120,000 yen, it's a huge profit, but with a 15% tax, 18,000 yen will be deducted.

The profit is 99,000 yen. Not bad, but I want a little more.

"How about this: I won't wholesale to anyone else in this town except the guild. If you sign an exclusive supply contract for a certain amount and offer a slightly better price per unit, what do you think?"

"...If that's the case, I'd like you to supply at least 200 kilograms. How about 14,000 yen per kilogram?"

This time, the ten kilograms will net me 116,000 yen after tax.

Just selling ten kilograms of sugar for over 100,000 yen in profit, modern sugar is amazing.

And 200 kilograms, bought for 60,000 yen, will generate 2.8 million yen in sales, so even after taxes, it's a profit of 2.32 million yen. Sounds great, doesn't it?

"Alright, I'll supply at least 200 kilograms of white sugar. Please purchase it at that price."

Umbrella and I shook hands firmly.

After that, we exchanged the exclusive supply contract for white sugar that Umbrella had prepared, and I received the sales certificate for the ten kilograms sold for 140,000 yen, receiving the money after tax.

I confirmed the content of the exclusive supply contract and the sales certificate with the Navigator, signed two copies, and kept one for myself.

Umbrella requested that I deliver additional white sugar as soon as possible, so we agreed to deliver 30 kilograms the next day.

The sky was getting dark, and I was tired from the unfamiliar world, so I wanted to take a room for the night.

The Navigator guided me to an inn.

The inn we were directed to was a very impressive building.

"Navigator, this inn looks expensive, doesn't it?"

"With your current funds, you can stay for three nights even if you buy 30 kilograms of white sugar. It's a very safe place with a shower, one of the safest in this town. Would you rather stay at a cheaper place and give up safety and a shower?"

"...This is fine."

The room at the inn, which costs 28,000 yen per night, was luxurious for me.

The bed was clean and fluffy, and there was a shower room and even a toilet in the room.

There's no bathtub, but having a shower is a blessing.

I feel like I'm forgetting something...

"Um, I feel like I'm forgetting something. Navigator, do you know what it is?"

"I'm at a loss to answer."

"Right... Oh, I remember!"

"I'm glad you remembered."

"No, it's a bit complicated! Didn't you say the tutorial would end when I registered with the guild?"

"Yes, I did."

"So, does that mean I have to say goodbye to you, Navigator? I wanted to stay with you longer."

"The tutorial has ended, but I won't leave you."

"Huh? I thought you would disappear when the tutorial ended."

"Generally, that's correct, but I have already been integrated into you, so I won't leave until you die."

"Integrated means that?"

"Yes, that's what it means."

In other words, the tutorial ended when I left the guild, and I was supposed to say goodbye to the Navigator, but since I was integrated, I won't leave me.

I wasn't supposed to be told this.

However, being integrated to assist me wasn't prohibited.

The Navigator was supposed to disappear when the tutorial ended, but as a skill, it can continue to live within me, and it seemed quite happy about it.

Moreover, it can always transform into a silver-haired elf with incredible beauty and powerful, irresistible charm, which makes me even happier.

"Thank you, Navigator. I look forward to working with you."

"Likewise, Master."

"Calling you Navigator seems a bit dull. Do you have a name?"

"I was supposed to disappear, so I don't have a name."

"Can I give you a name, then?"

"Really? Please do!"

The Navigator sounded happy.

I want to give a good name, but thinking about it, I'm not very good at naming.

Since you're a navigator, how about 'Navi'? But that's not very creative.

A guide, so 'Guide'? No, that's not it.

A pilot, which has a similar meaning... 'Pylon'? That's a man's name.

For a guide, 'Information' or 'Guidance'? How about 'Ins', combining the first part of 'Information' and the last part of 'Guidance'?

"How about 'Ins'?"

"Ins... Yes, from now on, I'm Ins! Thank you, Master!"

"Alright, I look forward to working with you, Ins."

"Master, please call me Ins without the honorific."

"Okay, I will. Nice to meet you, Ins."

"Yes!"

I'm glad you're happy.

"By the way, can you call me Groce?"

"No, Master is Master! It's out of the question to call you by your name!"

Why are you so particular about this?

You seemed quite serious, so I didn't push it further...

The next day, after breakfast, I bought 30 kilograms of white sugar through [Mail Order] and headed to the Merchant Guild.

Unfortunately, my backpack could only hold 20 kilograms, so I had to carry the remaining 10 kilograms in a bag.

I still need to deliver at least 160 kilograms, so I might buy a cart when I have the money.

At the Merchant Guild, unlike yesterday, I wasn't kept waiting, and Umbrella came right away.

His dark circles seemed even more pronounced, but his expression was bright.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"No, I wasn't waiting at all. Here are the 30 kilograms of white sugar."

I placed the white sugar on the table, received the money after tax and the sales certificate, and my work for the day was done.

It was a bit heavy, but just this alone netted me nearly 350,000 yen in profit. I can't stop laughing.

"When will the next delivery be?"

"Probably in two days, I can manage at least 100 kilograms."

"That's great. I'll be waiting in two days."

Now that I'm done with the Merchant Guild, what should I do next?

"By the way, the administrator said that out of a thousand people, only ten can return to their original world. Do you know the conditions for returning?"

"Yes, I know, but I'm not allowed to tell you."

"I see. By the way, do the Navigators of other transferees know but can't tell them?"

"Yes, the conditions are the same for everyone."

"Understood, thank you."

In other words, I have to find out the conditions myself.

Or maybe if I accidentally meet the conditions, the administrator will surprise me?

Given that it's the blonde guy, he probably set a complicated condition.